Believing
Let the Peace of God Rule in Your Hearts
I don’t know anyone that doesn’t have concerns about the evil things that are going on in our
world today. The pundits on the TV and radio will expound the problems, but, never the
solutions, the news only reports the negatives and there are no answers in the so called
“Christian” church buildings. However, there is a place to find peace and solace and I want to
bring you there.
I have not written an article as I usually do, instead I have laid out scriptures that will lead you to
a great understanding of peace. You will, by the time you are done with this article, understand
that God is the God of Peace, That we are at peace with God, we are to be at peace with other
Christians, that peace comes with the knowledge of God’s Word the Bible. You will, also,
understand that, as a Christian, you already have the spirit of peace residing within and that it is
up to you to make the choice of whether you focus on the things of the World to the end of
peacelessness or focus on the things of God to walk in peace in an otherwise unpeaceful World.
People will look at you and either desire to have what you have or think you are crazy because
you are not disturbed by the events around you. You will, also, see that each of us is responsible
for sharing not the gospel of hell and damnation, but the gospel of peace with those that are lost
and are seeking deliverance and peace.
Peace for most people is an elusive thing. It is elusive because they search in the wrong places.
Peace, for the Christian, is within. A person is born again in an instant, but, it takes time and
study to see what we have in that new birth.
Jeremiah 15:16 (KJV)
16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine
heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
It is best to do with these verses what Jeremiah said he did when he found the Word of God. He
mentally, not literally, chewed on and absorbed the Word. It wasn’t a fleeting read. He spent time to
read, enjoy and assimilate what he had found.
Let us start our study with what Jesus Christ said.
John 14:27 (KJV)
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let
not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Romans 8:6 (KJV)
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Romans 10:15 (KJV)
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!Romans 14:17 (KJV)
17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghost.
Every Epistle addressed to the Christians have one thing in common. God bestowing grace and peace on
the believer. I have included here the start of every Pauline Epistle and II Peter to show you how much
God Almighty wants you to know that He wants us to have grace and peace in our lives.
Romans 1:7 (KJV)
7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God
our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3 (KJV)
3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:2 (KJV)
2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:3 (KJV)
3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 1:2 (KJV)
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:2 (KJV)
2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:2 (KJV)
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and
peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:1 (KJV)
1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the
Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:2-3 (KJV)
2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth
exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
2 Peter 1:2 (KJV)
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
I included II Peter 1:2 here because of the significance of the words “through the knowledge of God.”
The more we know God’s Word the more peaceful we become.1 Corinthians 14:33 (KJV)
33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Ephesians 2:13-19 (KJV)
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of
partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in
ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity
thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and
of the household of God;
Ephesians 4:1-8 (KJV)
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto
men.
Ephesians 6:10-19 (KJV)
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil
day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of
righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of
the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make
known the mystery of the gospel,
Philippians 4:6-9 (KJV)
6 Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are
just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if
there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of
peace shall be with you.
Colossians 3:15 (KJV)
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye
thankful.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (KJV)
12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord,
and admonish you;
13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
Romans 15:33 (KJV)
33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Let me close with the words from an old hymn:
Turn your eye upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of Earth
Will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
God Helps Those that Believe
There is an old saying that I hear over and over again and tonight I would like to deal with this
misconception. The saying is “God helps those who help themselves.” People say “The Bible says” and
then they quote this verse. Let me tell you if the Bible did say this we should throw the Bible away
because it would contradict everything that God did for us through Jesus Christ and everything that we
have in Christ Jesus!
Benjamin Franklin used it. James Dean, the movie star used it. But, it was first used by an English
politician Algernon Sidney who lived in the seventeenth century. It is not a quote from the Bible.
Let me be quite clear on this, God does not help those who help themselves. God helps those who
BELIEVE HIS WORD!
There is a lot in the Bible about not being lazy or slothful or idle, but, that is not what that quote is
alluding to. What it is saying is that you start a task and God will pitch-in once you start it. First, if it is
true in one instance it has to be true in all instances. So, if a person, say a Christian, decides to work to
get out of depth and then starts working to pay off bills does that means that God will start helping him?
Then why are there millions upon millions of people both good and bad both Christian and non-Christian
that fall short every day of having their needs met? I’m not talking about just monetary needs, but,
heart desires! Desire for someone to share your life with, deliverance from sickness and sorrow,
physical, mental and emotional needs that WE ALL can relate to. Let me ask you WHY would someone
want to be a Christian! Why would someone read the Bible and follow through on what it says? There is
only ONE reason! BECAUSE, THEY WANT A BETTER LIFE!
“God helps those who help themselves” is not going to get you that deliverance! Never, Ever! Let me tell
you WHY! It puts the person before God and it leaves out the power of the holy spirit in the life of the
individual.
Christians are spirit filled men and women. They have all the potential to do the works that Christ did
and more. They have all the power to bring to themselves health, prosperity and peace, but, you have to
put GOD FIRST!
John 14:12 (KJV)
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater
works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Mark 11:24 (KJV)
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them,
and ye shall have them.
As I said at the beginning of this article, God helps those who do one thing and one thing only, that is to
believe His Word!
There is action involved in believing, but, look at Mark 11:24 again. It says “when you pray” doesn’t it?
Who first? God first. When you pray do one thing – believe. Have that picture in your mind of God’spromise and deliverance in your life and then comes the action. You, I, we walk out on that believing
and claim those promises.
I remember working in the cold one year, I was fulltime in the ministry and working part time as a frame
carpenter to meet my needs. I didn’t have the nicest cold weather gear and the temperatures dropped
to extremely cold weather. I was cold the first day the front moved in, but, that night I went home and I
found a verse in Hosea that promises us warmth and believe me, I was needing some warmth. I claimed
my right to be warm and that next day I went out into the same cold as the day before and I was warm!
All day and the next and the next. All through that cold spell I stayed warm. Nothing else changed, my
clothes hadn’t changed, the temperatures didn’t change there was one thing that changed, I knew the
promise of God, I claimed it and I believed!
I am not telling you this because I am more special than any other Christian. I am telling you this because
you, as a Christian can do it as well.
There was a married couple that couldn’t have children. They tried everything, but, to no avail. My wife
and I taught them the principle that I am teaching you now and within the year they got their
deliverance. She was pregnant and shortly thereafter they had a beautiful baby. To this day I don’t know
the verse they claimed, but, I know that the only thing that changed was that they claimed the promise
of God. No pills, no in vitro fertilization, no artificial insemination just claiming the promises of God and
believing.
Look at Philippians 4:13.
Philippians 4:13 (KJV)
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
The literal translation is, I can do all things through Christ who infuses inner strength into me.
The thing that sets Christians apart is that they are spirit filled men and women. They are sons and
daughters of God and they can manifest that power in this life to bring great deliverance to themselves
and others.
There are over nine hundred promises to us in the Word of God. How many do you know? Do you know
the promise that is made especially for you? Do you know the promise that will give you the absolute
deliverance that you need right now? God does and He is waiting for you to claim that promise and
bring you the deliverance that you so desire.
Below is God’s blessings on Israel. We as Christians can and should lay claim to these promises as well. I
count thirty promises how many do you count? How many will you claim?
Deuteronomy 28:1-14 (KJV)
1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God,
to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy
God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the
voice of the LORD thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, theincrease of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face:
they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest
thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou
shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they
shall be afraid of thee.
11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of
thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to
give thee.
12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in
his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and
thou shalt not borrow.
13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and
thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God,
which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right
hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Healing of a Man Born Blind
God can deliver to the uttermost and, yet, people doubt and walk away from the fountain of
living waters never getting their deliverance. Below is a story of a man born blind. He was a
man, not a child, not a teenager, but, a man. What I am pointing out is that this man was at least
twenty years old maybe thirty or forty. But even twenty years is a long time. He had lived with
the blindness from his birth. Never, in the history of the World, had a person been delivered from
being born blind. It would be easier to win all the lotteries of the World than to be delivered from
the blindness. Even when the physical eyes are healed there is another part of the equation. The
mind has to recognize what the eyes are seeing. I have read where a blind man that rode a bus for
years had an operation to repair his sight. When his eyes were healed up he, again, began to ride
the bus. But, because he had only experienced the bus from the entry door back in his blindness,
with his sight he could not see the front of the bus. So, to be healed of blindness means a lot
more than just healing the eyes themselves.
Let us now look at this great deliverance.
John 9:1-38 (KJV)
1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was
born blind?
Please, read verse two again. Do you understand what exactly his disciples were asking? First,
they asked if the man sinned. Well, for the man to sin he had to have been alive. What they were
asking was from a prevalent belief then, and still is, of reincarnation. Did he sin in a previous
existence? Secondly, they asked if his parents had sinned. Every parent, that has a child that is
born with a malady, wonder if they did something wrong, if they sinned against God and that sin
was what caused the problem with their child.
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God
should be made manifest in him.
Could the man or his parents have done something so far off that he or his parents brought this
punishment on the man when he was a baby? That’s what they were asking. The man couldn’t
have sinned. He wasn’t yet born! There is no reincarnation because in Hebrews 9:27 it says that
“it is appointed to man once to die but after this the judgement.” There is no such thing as
reincarnation and Jesus closes the door on such a belief by stating “Neither hath this man
sinned.”
The parents could have sinned, but to the point that God would punish the baby for their sakes?
Never! Jesus states that they didn’t sin. All men sin, it says so in Romans 3:23, but, what is the
context? The context is punishment on the child because of what the parents did. Jesus settles it
for the disciples by telling them that it wasn’t the parents fault! “ Neither hath this man sinned,
NOR HIS PARENTS.” This should be clarion call to every father and mother that has a child
born with a malady or physical or mental impairment. IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT. Things get
messed up.There was no punctuation in the original manuscripts, it was added much later and verse three
has a glaring error. The way it is punctuated means that God caused the man to be blind from his
mother’s womb so that Jesus Christ some twenty, thirty or forty years later could heal him. That
idea is straight from the pit of Hell. “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. (I John 1:15)
Light is life, light is deliverance, healing, love etc. Darkness is pain, sickness and suffering.
Verse three and four should be punctuated as follows:
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents. But, that the works of God
should be made manifest in him, I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the
night cometh, when no man can work.
There should be a period after the word “parents.” So now the meaning is clear and fits with the
rest of the Word of God. “No, the man didn’t sin. No, the parents didn’t sin. But, because God
has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to
preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are
bruised,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Because of this I must work the works of God by healing this
man blind from his mothers womb!”
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Jesus Christ was the light he was the deliverance he was the healing!
6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed
the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
In the Orient, they believed that the spittle of a holy man had healing. Does this mean that every
person who is blind should have clay made from spit dabbed in his eyes? No! But, Jesus Christ
by revelation knew where this man’s believing lay. It wasn’t the spit nor the dirt that had power
in it. It was the man’s believing! The man believed! How do I know he believed? Because in the
next verse Jesus tells him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam and the man went and washed.
Believing is an action verb. The man obeyed Jesus Christ. He went and washed!
7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went
his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not
this he that sat and begged?
9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.
10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?
11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and
said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.
12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them,
He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not thesabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a
division among them.
17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes?
He said, He is a prophet.
18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight,
until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.
19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he
now see?
20 His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born
blind:
21 But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he
is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed
already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
23 Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
Fear always encases, fear always binds. It stops a person from being the man or woman they
know to be. In the time of Jesus Christ to be thrown out of the synagogue meant that you
couldn’t buy groceries, no one would talk to you. You would be totally excommunicated from
society. This fear gripped the parents so, instead of proclaiming the joy of having their son
delivered from something that had never been healed before they said “he is of age ask him.”
24 Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we
know that this man is a sinner.
25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that,
whereas I was blind, now I see.
26 Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it
again? will ye also be his disciples?
28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples.
29 We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
30 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not
from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth
his will, him he heareth.
32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born
blind.
33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
This is the problem in pulpits today. They want to control people, they want to be the leaders
and, yet, they know not what the teach or whereof they affirm.
Rather than being happy for this man they want to accuse Jesus Christ. The reason they did this
was because this healing could impact their authority. People would stop coming to the
synagogue and start following Jesus.34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?
And they cast him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost
thou believe on the Son of God?
36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
Here is a great lesson to all leadership! Until this point, Jesus Christ didn’t tell the man who he
was. He didn’t say “come follow me” or “from now on you need to come to my fellowship!” All
Jesus did was dabbed mud in the man’s eye and sent him off to wash. No commitment was
required just believing.
It should have been the greatest day in the man’s life. He was healed from an incurable illness.
You would think that everyone would be rejoicing with him. But, his parents turned their backs
on him, the neighbors drug him to the religious leadership and the religious leadership chastised
him and threw him out of the synagogue. The only one to look for him after he was cast out was
Jesus Christ!
37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
LORD I BELIEVE!
What are the burdens that hold you back what fears worries and doubts do you have? Isn’t it time
to cast off those weights and declare “LORD I BELIEVE!”
Daniel’s Example for Us Today
I think everybody has heard of the prophet Daniel. Specifically, Daniel and the lion’s den. But, there is a
lot more regarding Daniel and what he had to stand for and against in his day. Enough so that it should
speak volumes to our ears.
Before we go to the Book of Daniel I want to explain why I am writing this article at this time. There are
many many people that are looking at this period of time as the End Times. They are concerned with
what this government might do or this or that country is going to do as well as what a group of people
might be planning. Most of us can’t do anything about what some evil doer might do. We can put extra
food or supplies away or make plans to leave the large population areas for safer climes. But, as
changing anything that someone might do we don’t have control. Daniel was like this and Daniel’s
example rings clear as to what to do.
You see, Daniel was a stranger in a strange land. As a young lad he was chosen to be trained up and to
stand in the house of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon.
Daniel 1:1-6 (KJV)
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house
of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the
vessels into the treasure house of his god.
3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of
the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes;
4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in
knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s
palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he
drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.
6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:
Now Daniel stood with the God of Israel. That meant he had certain rules that he lived by, one of
these being what he ate. Now the food in the Kings palace was excellent, but, it was outside of
what God dictated that the Children of Israel should eat. So, Daniel chose to eat vegetable soup
rather than the sumptuous food of the Kings table and God blessed him and his friends for their
stand.
Daniel 1:8-16 (KJV)
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s
meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that
he might not defile himself.
9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed
your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which
are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah,
12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to
drink.
13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children
that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.
14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the
children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.
16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and
gave them pulse.
Daniel didn’t get involved in the politics and whims of others. Even though he was in a strange
land he chose to do what God instructed the Children of Israel to do. What about us? Are we OF
this world or just in it. We are NOT of this World. Our home is in Heaven! We are just passing
through. This doesn’t mean that we hide or remove ourselves from society. No, not at all. We are
to be shining beacons of God’s love and grace. Daniel didn’t hide, but, he stood for and with
God.
Daniel 1:17-21 (KJV)
17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom:
and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of
the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel,
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.
20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found
them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
21 And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.
While Daniel was alive he had three changes of administration, kingdoms, first was
Nebuchadnezzar, second was Cyrus and then there was Darius. In all of these Daniel and his
friends stood with and for God. These men stood steady in giving the best advise they could to
the king, but, at the same time not compromising on their commitment to God.
Now Daniels friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s stand for God got them in to trouble
with King Nebuchadnezzar. We will have to make the same kind of decisions from time to time
in lives. Do we do what people want us to do? Do we do what society dictates or do we stand for
God because He stands for you.
Daniel 3:1-30 (KJV)
1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the
breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the
captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the
provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the
sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the
image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that
Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and
all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king
hath set up:
6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a
burning fiery furnace.
7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut,
psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and
worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet,
flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship
the golden image:
11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a
burning fiery furnace.
12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not
thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut,
psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have
made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery
furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we
are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he
will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the
golden image which thou hast set up.
19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat
the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other
garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the
flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of
the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto
his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and
said unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have
no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and
said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and
come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together,
saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed,
neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have
changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any
god, except their own God.
29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing
amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their
houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
Now you will notice that in verse eight that people “accused the Jews” of whom was Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. People will always find fault with those who endeavor to walk with
and for God. But, is up to the believer as to the outcome.
The same accusers were around for Daniel, also. Always trying to find fault always trying to get
Daniel in trouble, but, they never could find a fault in Daniel. Why? Because Daniel walked with
and for God.
So now we get to the record of Daniel and the lion’s den.
All through his life Daniel never lashed out, never tried to find fault with others. He always stood
faithful to God, always gave good advice and service to the King. But, because of his stand for
God he wasn’t liked by a lot of people.
Daniel 6:1-28 (KJV)
1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over
the whole kingdom;
2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give
accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.
3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit
was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the
kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was
there any error or fault found in him.5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it
against him concerning the law of his God.
6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King
Darius, live for ever.
7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the
captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that
whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall
be cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to
the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows
being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and
prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his
God.
12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not
signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days,
save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is
true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the
captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh
his petition three times a day.
14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart
on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.
15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of
the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be
changed.
16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now
the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver
thee.
17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his
own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning
Daniel.
18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of
musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.
20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king
spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest
continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me:
forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done
no hurt.
23 Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up
out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found uponhim, because he believed in his God.
24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they
cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the
mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.
25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth;
Peace be multiplied unto you.
26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God
of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be
destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
27 He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who
hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
To Daniel did it matter what the evil doers of that time were plotting? To Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego did it matter what the King was doing or that people were waiting to accuse them,
the people knowing that it was a matter of adhering to the commandments of God or of men?
The answer is simple “No” it didn’t matter to Daniel nor to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
how bad things got. They made a commitment to God and they stood.
It is up to us. Do we look around at the circumstances or do we STAND with and for the One
True God?
The God of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is the same God then that He is today.
However, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were servants of God you and I are sons of
God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We have much more potential, much more power and
much more authority than they did. We too can stand with and for God in this day and time.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego didn’t bow to the whims of man and God saw to it that they
didn’t burn. Daniel didn’t buckle in his commitment to God and because of his stand with and
for God, because of his BELIEVING he was delivered.
Let me leave you with Psalm 2. According to Psalm 2 God has everything in hand even if we
don’t know how. “Blessed are all they that put their trust in God.”
Psalm 2:1-12 (KJV)
1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD,
and against his anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I
begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a
little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD?
I was reading a section out of Numbers chapter 13 when it hit me like a rock right between the eyes. I had turned away from God! Yes, me who write about God, His Word (living and written) and how to walk with Him. How had it come to this? What had happened and why?
RUNNING ON EMPTY
Have you ever had an experience were you needed an answer, deliverance from a situation but the answer wasn’t there? You had your own philosophy of how things should work but when it came right down to it you didn’t have the what it took to be the super conqueror that it talks about in Romans chapter eight. The best thing is a heaping helping of the accuracy of God’s Word, the Bible, which gives us the knowledge ability and strength to succeed
GOD FIRST
As I walk through this life I endeavor to work on different aspects of my life to improve it. Lately, I have been thinking and working on “God first” in my life. I started thinking about this because I have been taught that God should be first in my life and I am reminded of that each time I pray (thank God) for the food that I am going to eat. Honestly, I could do a better job of praying before every meal. So, that is what got me to thinking about God being first.
SIMPLICITY OR INSANITY
ver the past few weeks I have been studying the first five books of the Old Testament along with some of the New Testament and then I sat down with my family to watch some television. Let me just say that I believe that television usually rips the Word of God out of a person’s heart but, that is for another time.
